SEPTEMBER 18, 2000

Raikkonen tests for Sauber

FINNISH rising star Kimi Raikkonen tested for Sauber for three days last week at Mugello. The recently-crowned British Formula Renault Champion showed steady improvement during the test as he got used to driving a Formula 1 car. The 20-year-old from Espoo struggled on the first day of the test with his neck muscles, which suffered under the cornering forces of an F1 car. The team was favorably impressed by his performance on the second day of the test when he shaved nearly three seconds a lap off his best time of the first day. He did a total of around 80 laps during the three days and the team was impressed that he had only one spin.

Raikkonen is aiming to drive in Formula 3 next year but hopes that his F1 test might lead to a testing deal with Sauber. The team will now decide whether they feel Raikkonen has the potential to be worth signing up on a long-term deal. The team is believed to have an option on his services for the next few weeks.